Prior art forward crossed-field amplifiers have been used with increasing frequency in electronic systems which require high RF power, such as radar systems. However, because such prior art crossed-field amplifiers are relatively heavy (i.e., about 25 pounds) require a complicated and cumbersome high RF power source, which also adds to the weight of the overall system, such prior art crossed-field amplifiers are not optimal for airborne applications and have typically been restricted to use in ground and shipboard applications. Additionally, these prior art crossed field amplifiers occupy a relatively large volume thereby making airborne applications even less desirable. At least one prior art forward wave crossed field amplifier is believed to have been used for an airborne application during the NASA lunar space flights, however, this crossed-field amplifier had a low gain and an extremely narrow bandwidth as compared with other prior art crossed-field amplifiers and would not be desirous for more conventional uses.
In airborne applications, traveling wave tubes are typically used for amplifying an RF wave since they are light in weight and have a high gain, as compared with prior art crossed-field amplifiers, and therefore may be used with a lightweight solid state RF power source. However, traveling wave tubes are expensive to build and manufacture and require very complicated circuitry as compared with the circuitry of a crossed-field amplifier. Accordingly, a need exists for a lightweight low volume crossed-field amplifier which could be employed in airborne applications.